Jim Johnson back as A’s closer? Cespedes’ status; Moss amuses

Don’t be surprised should Jim Johnson return to the fulltime A’s closer role; his recent success (six scoreless outings) have him positioned to regain his job.

Manager Bob Melvin said of Johnson’s recent work: “It has certainly elevated the potential for him to close. … He’s pitching really well.”

Asked if the plan is to stick with the bullpen by committee, Melvin hesitated and said, “Yeah, well…..yeah.” He is usually pretty declarative, so take that for what it’s worth.

Scouts in Houston expressed surprise he’s not back in there already, because neither Sean Doolittle nor Luke Gregerson has looked entirely comfortable closing. Plus, one told me yesterday that Johnson’s sinker is one of the best, and hardest, he’s seen all year. From any pitcher.

Melvin said that Yoenis Cespedes (hamstring) might be available off the bench tonight if his pregame running goes well.

Ideally, Cespedes will be back in there tomorrow night against left-hander Martin Perez. And it just makes loads of sense not to stick Cespedes back in for the first time in four games against Yu Darvish.

Brandon Moss was his usual fabulously funny self on the MLB Network’s Intentional Talk today, see below. He sang a Merle Haggard song and danced, among other things. He’s a beaut.

Moss has been expressing mock pride – I think it’s joking, anyway – about the two A’s hit-by-pitch records he set in Houston: Getting hit twice in one inning was an all-time A’s record, and four times for the series also was an all-time A’s record going back to at least 1914.

“I’m so pumped!” he said. “I even had to have Bob go to the whole replay deal to get that record for the series! I’m going to credit my age – I can’t move quite as fast as I used to.”

Moss stands as close to the plate as anyone in the game, the better to see the ball out of pitchers’ hands – he said he has depth perception issues if he’s not practically on the plate. People assume that he’s crowding the plate to take away the outside corner, but he said it’s really only for better vision.

Asked if he’s seen anyone stand closer to the plate, Melvin said, “No – and I throw batting practice to him quite a bit….sometimes he looks like a right-handed hitter, he’s so on the plate, so yeah, he crowds the plate.”

What impresses Melvin is that Moss still gets to inside pitches and hits them out.